


don't pass me by

by therestisconfetti



Category: American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Apocalypse
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 02:04:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17437808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therestisconfetti/pseuds/therestisconfetti
Summary: It makes sense now, the way Mallory and Madison have bonded without seemingly anyone knowing how or why. She gets why Mallory doesn’t hesitate to hand Madison’s attitude right back to her, how Madison doesn’t completely destroy her with a look or a few poisonous words.(or: Zoe has maybe always been in love with her roommate, Mallory is her friend who mysteriously brings Madison back from hell, and things get terribly taken out of context.)





	don't pass me by

Mallory is hands down Zoe’s favorite student.

Not to mention she’s the most promising too, her powers and knowledge of magic way ahead of her peers. Zoe finds the young witch in the library sometimes, reading up on her own. When Zoe says hello, Mallory’s eyes widen in surprise, but her mouth eases into a smile when she recognizes it’s only Zoe.

They form a solid friendship after that.

So when Mallory brings up Madison Montgomery one day when she and Zoe are trying out a new magic concoction in the greenhouse, Zoe doesn’t think all that much of it.

It does, however, throw Zoe for a loop. She hasn’t heard that name in a long time - years, actually; Cordelia and Queenie learned very quickly that it was a sensitive subject.

They both also mourn Madison, too.

Cordelia more than Queenie, but it’s all the same.

They all lost Madison because of Kyle, who was consequently burned at the stake for his deed.

(That’s a sensitive subject, too.

No one dares to even think about it, especially not around Zoe.)

“How do you know about her?” Zoe asks with a slight frown, looking up from the instructions they were following.

Mallory shrugs, busy pulling leaves from a stem. “Well for one, she used to be kind of famous. For another, I know my Coven history.”

Zoe would smile at that, but now she’s thinking about Madison and there’s a dull ache in her chest.

“She…” Zoe begins, trying to find the right words. “She was my roommate.”

She settles on that: the truth. It’s not the full truth, not even close, but Zoe doesn’t feel like getting into that right now.

“A hell of a witch too,” she admits, chuckling a little even if thinking about Madison hurts. “She was a force to be reckoned with, that’s for sure.”

“Were you guys close?” Mallory asks.

It’s an innocent enough question, but Zoe pauses long enough for Mallory to notice and now the younger witch is looking at her carefully, like any wrong move could send Zoe spiraling.

Zoe goes with the truth again, kind of.

“If we weren’t at each other’s throats, she was trying to fuck my boyfriend - ex-boyfriend,” she corrects. “And she refused to bring me back to life, so.”

She can’t meet Mallory’s apologetic gaze, not when she thinks of those unspoken moments with Madison. She remembers the glances, the quiet touches when it was just the two of them and Kyle was fast asleep, how Madison just wanted to _feel_ again and Zoe felt like Madison did, or at least thought she did, when they were together.

She thinks of all of these things and suddenly she wishes she tried harder to bring Madison back, that she’d left every stone unturned.

“She sounds...like a lot,” Mallory says, carefully navigating the conversation with her words now.

“She was,” Zoe agrees, unable to help the chuckle that falls from her lips. “Madison was a bitch, but she definitely kept me on my toes.”

She goes back to reading the instructions now, and she’s thankful when Mallory continues what she was doing. Zoe lets out a quiet exhale, cursing Madison for being so goddamn selfish.

Mallory doesn’t bring her up again after that.

The next few days, Zoe tries not to stare too hard at what used to be Madison’s side of the room - gone of all her belongings thanks to Kyle and a made bed Zoe hasn’t had the heart to remove or allow anyone else to sleep in.

 

* * *

 

Hell the second time around is worse. Sure, she knows what to expect: her days will be filled with customer service and stacking towels and getting yelled at and tortured by her supervisor. These aren’t the things that make it worse; Madison can handle that.

What Madison can’t handle is wondering what the fuck is going on above. Did Mallory succeed or did Michael destroy her, too? Is the world full of chaos and they’ve failed as a Coven or did Mallory and Cordelia somehow pull it off?

And if they did pull it off, where the _hell_ is Mallory and why hasn’t that stupid little rising Supreme come to get her?

The thing about hell is, time moves differently. It basically doesn’t exist. Madison doesn’t know how long it’s been.

She’s organizing a display for the kitchen department when a familiar voice surprises her.

“Retail worker is a good look for you.”

Madison whips around and her mind goes hazy for a moment, as if she’s waking up from a never-ending nightmare. When her eyes are able to focus again, she finds none other than Mallory standing there with a smirk and her arms crossed.

And in any other situation, Madison would return the comment with a snarky one of her own, but honestly hell has worn her down and all she feels is pure relief. She forgets the display she’s supposed to be arranging and instead almost runs towards Mallory, throwing her arms around the younger girl.

(Madison supposes going through an apocalypse and trying to save the world together brings people closer, or whatever.)

“Oh my god, _finally!_ ” she exclaims, letting out a sigh of relief.

Mallory’s caught by surprise, but she chuckles softly and returns the favor, loosely wrapping her arms around the blonde.

She won’t admit it, but she’s missed Madison despite her constant need to insult every single person in her vicinity.

“Wow, hell’s changed you,” Mallory teases when Madison finally releases her.

Madison only rolls her eyes as she pulls away. “Just get me out of here, Girl Wonder.”

Mallory smiles as she says, “Let’s go home.”

 

* * *

 

Zoe is wrapping up a Council meeting when there is a knock on the door of Cordelia’s office. She and Queenie are standing by Cordelia’s desk; they turn at the sound.

“Come in,” Cordelia calls out, looking at the door curiously.

When it opens, Mallory peeks in.

Zoe smiles at the sight of her; she knows she’s grown close to Cordelia since her arrival - after all, Mallory _did_ appear the same day Misty was mysteriously brought back from hell with Nan by her side.

“Mallory, what can we do for you?” Cordelia asks.

Mallory offers a nervous smile. “Um, I actually have something for you. All of you,” she clarifies, looking from Cordelia to Zoe to Queenie.

Zoe frowns, not exactly sure what Mallory has in store of them. She exchanges looks with her fellow Council members to find they look just as confused as she does.

“What is it?” Queenie asks, quirking an eyebrow.

The young girl bites her lip, looking at all of them before entering the room and looking behind her.

Zoe is almost positive she’s dreaming.

It’s the only explanation because behind Mallory enters the one person Zoe thought she’d never see again.

Madison Montgomery struts into the room, looking as good as ever in thigh high boots and a tight black romper. She looks even more beautiful despite death, but Zoe sees the dullness in her eyes. She sees that something’s changed, and Zoe can only figure it’s hell that’s taken the life away from her.

About twenty different emotions begin to bubble in Zoe’s chest at the sight of Madison. She doesn’t even know where to begin, can hardly even think straight with Madison standing here, in the flesh.

Cordelia gasps, rising from her seat immediately.

“Bitch what the fuck,” Queenie blurts out.

Zoe can’t find the right words for this situation. All she can do is stare at Madison standing in the middle of Cordelia’s office.

“Surprise bitches,” Madison greets because _of course_ she would. “Bet you thought you’d seen the last of me.”

Zoe misses the way Mallory rolls her eyes at the greeting as if she’s heard it before.

“Madison,” Cordelia almost whispers.

The Supreme makes her way around her desk, taking quick steps until she’s able to pull Madison into a tight embrace.

“Good to see you too Cordy,” Madison tells her with a roll of her eyes, but she allows Cordelia to hold her tight anyway, even pats her back a little.

For a moment, Zoe thinks something’s wrong with Madison because she would _never_ let Cordelia touch her like this. Then again, Zoe supposes hell can even make Madison Montgomery go at little a little soft.

Cordelia finally pulls away, inspecting Madison up and down before looking past her to look at Mallory, who still stands by the door.

“How is this possible?” she asks in disbelief.

Mallory only smiles in that secretive way she’s done before. “I think you have a lot to catch up on. All of you,” she says before sidestepping her way out the door and disappearing.

“Mallory!” Cordelia calls out, but it’s no use because they know Mallory has already run off to her room or the study or anywhere but Cordelia’s office.

Zoe just stares at Madison in wonder, trying to figure out how the hell this is possible.

Cordelia fixes her attention back on Madison, confusion written all over her face. “How did she do it?”

Madison shrugs, knowing her has to be careful with her answer. “Same way Misty did.”

“I don’t understand,” Cordelia admits, still trying to put the pieces together.

“Don’t worry about it,” Madison tells her, waving a hand. She then turns to Zoe, her infamous smirk dawning her lips. “What, no welcome back party for me, String Bean?”

Zoe rolls her eyes, taking a step towards her. “You left me for dead, remember?”

Madison places a hand on her cocked hip as she quirks an eyebrow in response. “And your dumb zombie guard dog choked the life out of me for it.”

Cordelia and Queenie visibly tense at the mention of Kyle, exchanging looks with each other before watching Zoe carefully.

Zoe doesn’t really know what to expect when she hears Kyle’s name; just thinking about him the other week around Mallory was enough to make her uneasy. She guesses we would’ve cried or screamed or just shut down completely.

What she doesn’t expect is for the guilt to fester from her gut and onto her face. She doesn’t expect to look at Madison with a thousand different thoughts wanting to burst, with her eyes swimming with guilt and regret because maybe _maybe_ if she hadn’t been so obsessed with a cute frat boy at a party they shouldn’t have been at in the first place, they wouldn’t be in this situation right now.

Madison catches sight of this almost immediately, and before Zoe knows it Madison’s taking two steps forward and pulling Zoe into a hug.

It’s unfamiliar and strange, this open intimacy between them. Zoe isn’t quite sure what’s going on, but she knows something inside of her settles when Madison holds her like this. It doesn’t make all the guilt go away, but it’s a feeling that Zoe’s been longing for.

“I know,” Madison murmurs quietly into her ear as she holds her. “About Kyle and the searching for my body and...I know.”

She knows because in a different timeline, Zoe tells her all of it.

Madison will save them the pain this time around.

Zoe pulls away from her, trying to figure out what Madison’s playing at. She can’t find a trace of her usually snark or the mischievous look in her eye; there are only big, green eyes full of understanding.

“I’m sorry,” Madison says quietly.

It’s the most honest and apologetic Zoe’s ever seen Madison Montgomery in any life she can remember, and honestly she’s not exactly sure what to do with that.

“Me too” is her only reply.

 

* * *

 

Madison moves back into her room. Her bed is ready for her like she knew it would be, practically untouched and unmoved since she died. Zoe grows shy when she notices that Madison knows it’s been waiting for her, that no one else has taken her place.

But Madison’s mentally exhausted, so she simply just turns around with a smirk.

“Wow, it’s like you knew I’d come back. Holding out for me, Zoe?”

It snaps Zoe out of her state, earning a snort and a roll of her eyes as she says, “I see your ego’s still as big as ever.”

There’s a smile on her lips though, and Madison breathes easier knowing this is normal.

Since guard dog Kyle had conveniently gotten rid of all of Madison’s belongings, Cordelia sends Zoe along with Coco and Mallory to buy Madison a new wardrobe.

“Don’t worry my dad has like a zillion dollars,” Coco tells Madison from the back seat. “So you can buy whatever you want.”

Madison resists the urge to let Coco know she’s well aware of how much money the Vanderbilt’s have because her dad bought _four_ spots in a fucking bunker for the end of the world, but she resists.

“Tell your daddy he’s a doll,” she says instead, taking a drag of her cigarette.

“Great now she’s going to buy the entire store,” Zoe tells Coco, giving Madison side eye from the driver’s seat.

“I could buy you a new wardrobe too,” Madison suggests, giving her a look. “Get rid of those old clothes from the Gap.”

Zoe rolls her eyes. “You haven’t changed one bit.”

“Missed me?” Madison asks, voice low and sweet and downright predatory.

Zoe ignores the excited twist in her stomach. She keeps her eyes on the road as she answers, “You wish.”

Madison smirks, taking another drag from her cigarette. Mallory shakes her head at the exchange. Coco just looks kind of lost.

“So how’s that gluten detector life working out for you, Coco?” Madison asks after a moment.

Mallory’s eyes widen as Coco’s face morphs into confusion.

“How do you know about Coco’s power?” Zoe asks curiously.

Madison opens her mouth to speak, but Mallory’s quick to cut her off.

“I told her about it,” she says suddenly and Madison whips her head around to face her. “I…when she came back. I was telling her about Coco.”

Coco nods, taking this information as true while Mallory gives Madison a look to which Madison rolls her eyes before turning back around.

“It’s kind of fun,” Coco admits.

She goes on to tell Madison a story she’s already heard before in another timeline that Coco doesn’t remember, and Mallory lets out a quiet sigh.

Zoe eyes Madison and then Mallory through her rearview mirror curiously as she drives wondering what _that_ little exchange was about.

She doesn’t ask though because Madison is practically jumping out of the car when they pull into the parking lot.

She spends the rest of the afternoon following Madison around and giving her half-hearted opinions on her outfits while Coco and Mallory disappear to do some shopping of their own.

(Zoe thinks Madison looks good in all of them, but she won’t say that out loud.

That’s not how they operate.)

 

* * *

 

Zoe finds Madison out on the back porch one night long after dinner and most of the girls are either out or gone to their rooms. She takes the blonde in for a moment as she leans against the doorframe of the porch.

Madison’s back is to her as she sits on the steps of the porch, cigarette in one hand as the other steadies her by leaning against the step behind her. Something about her looks so deflated, so unlike the confident and careless Madison she’s used to. The subtle yet stunning difference tugs at Zoe’s heart because Madison has always been more than _just_ Madison to her.

Even if Zoe still doesn’t quite understand what it means yet.

“Thanks for not smoking in our room,” she says to break the silence.

Madison doesn’t even turn around at the sound of her voice. She simply replies, “I figured I could do without another one of your lectures today.”

Zoe chuckles softly as she takes a seat next to her roommate. Madison takes another long drag of her cigarette, not bothering to look at her.

“What are you doing here?” Madison questions. “Shouldn’t you be working on lesson plans or reading or something equally as boring?”

“I came to check on you,” Zoe answers honestly. “You weren’t upstairs.”

“Well I’m here, so, congrats. You found me.”

Madison throws up her hands in mock excitement, rolling her eyes before the cigarette meets her lips again.

“Thank God,” Zoe deadpans, and her response is enough to elicit a small smile from Madison. Zoe can’t help the smile that forms on her own face as she stares at her shoes.

“I feel like I’ve been brought back way too many times,” Madison tells her. “I’ve been given way too many chances at life.”

Zoe looks at her then, notices the way the smile is gone and she’s looking out to the other side of the backyard, into nothingness. The cigarette is not too far from her lips and this is probably the least alive Zoe’s seen her since Misty brought her back the first time.

“Third time’s the charm maybe,” Zoe tells her with a gentle nudge.

There’s an flicker of something in Madison’s eyes that Zoe can’t catch quickly enough. The glimmer of it is gone within a blink and Zoe is left wondering what Madison is thinking.

(Madison resists telling her that this is actually her fourth chance.

Mallory bringing her back was the third time she’s come back from the dead; she hates that Zoe doesn’t remember the last life they lived together.

She hates how Zoe doesn’t know how agonizingly close they were to...whatever it is they’ve always wanted from each other.)

“Maybe,” Madison repeats with a non-committal hum. “I can’t sleep at night.”

“I know,” Zoe admits, thinking to the times she hears Madison tossing and turning at night.

She wants more than anything to help her, but she doesn’t know how. She doesn’t know what to do or say, especially when Madison comes with walls to protect her after all she’s been through.

“At least I’m alive I guess,” Madison shrugs, finishing off her cigarette.

She tosses her cigarette butt into the grass before standing and walking back towards the door. Zoe watches her until the blonde turns around and looks at her expectantly.

“Are you coming?”

Zoe nods, standing up and brushing off her jeans. She follows Madison inside and up to their bedroom.

She knows Madison doesn’t sleep well again.

And it breaks Zoe, how she can’t help her.

 

* * *

 

Life at the Coven continues.

Zoe teaches classes, Mallory is attempting to fly under the radar - which, Madison would like to point out isn’t working because like, Zoe raves about her _all_ the time - and Cordelia is still just as heart eyes for Misty Day as she was before Michael blew Madison’s head off, except this time they like, kiss and hold hands and stuff.

So really nothing has changed, but at the same time everything has.

Cordelia doesn’t know the lengths she went to for the sake of her Coven and Mallory.

Misty doesn’t know the fear of having Michael Langdon pull her out of hell.

Zoe has no clue she died a second time by a bullet through her forehead and that this time Madison could do nothing to save her, that her soul _ceased to exist._

Madison struggles with it at random times of the day. Whether it’s watching Zoe teach a class or hearing Cordelia giggle like a schoolgirl at something Misty’s said.

She wonders if Mallory dealt with this too, walking into a house where no one knew of her yet, where no one knew what was supposed to happen. She wonders if Mallory was just about ready to burst.

The nights are the worst though. Most nights, sleep only comes in increments for Madison. She tosses and turns, nightmares of hell and of Michael Langdon resurfacing. She dreams about finding Zoe’s dead body, of her trip to the Murder House, of being buried underground for years, or Michael blowing her head off.

Sometimes, she isn’t having nightmares. Instead, she’s wide awake, sleep unable to find her as images of those moments, the moments that technically didn’t happen in this timeline, haunt her.

Zoe sleeps soundly on the other side of the room, completely unbothered and unaware.

It goes on like this for days until Madison can’t keep it in anymore. It’s the third time she’s woke up from her nightmares, panting and tears welled in her eyes. She calms herself down enough to not bother Zoe before she’s slipping out of bed.

Madison doesn’t know what compels her to do this, but she finds herself in front of Mallory’s door, knocking softly. She feels incredibly small in this moment, dressed in nothing but sleep shorts and a tank top, holding herself and feeling impossibly cold.

When a few moments pass without an answer, Madison lifts her hand to knock again only for the door to open. Mallory stands on the other side.

“Madison?” she questions, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

“I can’t sleep.”

Mallory understands almost immediately, stepping out of the doorway to let the older girl in. Madison steps in, noticing that Mallory lives alone with no roommates, not even Coco.

“So have you always had your own room or does being mini Supreme give you all the perks?”

She may be tired and haunted, but Madison always stays on brand.

Mallory scoffs, shutting the door behind them. “Would it kill you to be nice for even a minute?”

“I’m running on minimal sleep and Michael keeps popping up in my nightmares, so I think this is justified,” Madison retorts with a sneer while she crosses her arms.

Mallory sits on the floor, back pressed against the side of her bed and her legs crossed. She looks at Madison in understanding.

“I used to have them too,” Mallory admits. “I still do sometimes, but they’re not as bad anymore.”

“Well they suck,” Madison sighs, taking a seat next to Mallory and pulls her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs.

“Agreed,” Mallory nods, leaning back until her head hits her bed behind her.

They’re silent for a moment, both of them just sitting and thinking about what they know, about what happened and what hasn’t. For the first time since she’s returned, Madison feels relief because someone understands everything she’s going through.

She and Mallory have never been friends, but Mallory is here and _real_ and knows the pain and suffering she understands.

“Sucks that you’ve had to deal with this alone,” Madison suddenly says, breaking the silence.

Mallory looks up, meeting her gaze. “I would do anything for my sisters,” she reminds the blonde. “Even if it means I’m the only one who knows what really happened.”

“Well,” Madison shrugs. “You’re not the only one anymore.”

Madison stays in Mallory’s room for hours. They talk about Michael and the fallout and how everything was pure chaos. Mallory tells her about the bunker and how something always felt off. Madison tells her about how being underground sucked.

They’re together until the early hours of the morning, sitting on Mallory’s floor and finding comfort in each other.

 

* * *

 

Madison coming back to life means she and Zoe have to find a new normal.

With Kyle no longer a factor and Cordelia reigning as Supreme, they have a lot less to fight about. Not that Madison seems particularly eager to start an argument lately. She’s less rough around the edges these days, Zoe notes.

Cordelia has Madison sit in on some of Zoe and Queenie’s classes to refresh herself on what she needs to know. Madison says it’s stupid and she doesn’t need it - she passed every Seven Wonders test besides divination for crying out loud - but Cordelia tells her she’s been gone for so long she might as well. It also gives her something to do so, Madison goes.

When Zoe asks her to demonstrate, she does it with her signature smirk and an aura of confidence that’s always surrounded Madison when it comes to her magic. She’s a powerful witch and she knows it, and although it irritates Zoe majority of the time, she finds herself proud when Madison executes a demonstration flawlessly.

She tries to keep the butterflies at bay when Madison looks at her with a smile after, like she’s actually happy to be here.

Of course, it’s not like Madison’s done a 180 on her personality - not by any means. She’s still got a mouth on her, still rolls her eyes and scoffs at just about everything, but she’s not as cold as she used to be.

Madison does things like tells Zoe her outfits aren’t terrible or smiles at her in this way that makes Zoe smile back, and the brunette doesn’t understand it at all, but this softer side of Madison is something she can get used to.

 

* * *

 

“What the fuck is this?” is the first thing to come out of Madison’s mouth when she enters her bedroom after her shower.

There are blankets spread out on the floor between their beds, pillows everywhere, two bottles of sweet red wine with glasses to match, and a rather large bowl of popcorn. Zoe is at her desk, clicking away on her laptop.

She turns, greets Madison with a small smile as she replies, “Movie night.”

Madison groans. “Fuck, do you have a date in here?”

(She ignores the way the thought of Zoe having a date with someone disappoints her.

She knows where _that_ comes from, but she’d really rather not get into not, not when she’s still trying to figure out how to live life in a world where no one knows about the apocalypse.)

“No, you idiot,” Zoe snorts. “It’s roommate movie night.”

Madison makes a face. “Says who?”

“Me,” Zoe announces, picking her laptop up from her desk. “You have to participate.”

And to be honest, this actually kind of sounds like an ideal way to spend a Friday night. She’s struggling to find her place in the Coven while also trying to actually sleep at night rather than lay awake, and maybe she’s had kind of a shitty day because she and Cordelia fought twice within the span of three hours and Misty got involved and Madison may have scared a few of the new witches in the process.

It blows Madison’s mind how Zoe knows she needed something exactly like this at the end of the day. Then again maybe she didn’t, maybe she’s just being the nice person Zoe Benson is and thought it’d be a fun way to spend their evening.

But either way, Madison thinks this is maybe one of the nicest things someone’s done.

Except she definitely won’t tell Zoe that ever.

Madison scoffs and rolls her eyes to keep up appearances.

“You’re so cliche. This is the shit you see on pinterest,” she tells Zoe.

“Sorry, you’re too cool for wine now?” Zoe retorts with a quirked eyebrow as she walks over to the makeshift bed on the ground.

Madison lets out a long sigh, reluctantly walking over. “I mean, it looks like you got the good stuff,” she points out, picking up a bottle. “The _really_ good stuff, apparently.”

Zoe only smiles knowingly, like she knew she’d have Madison hooked all along.

Stupid bitch.

“We can finish both bottles,” she sing-songs, setting her laptop down in front of them.

Madison rolls her eyes, but eventually her lips crack into a smile.

“Fine,” she finally relents, cracking the bottle in her hands open. “Only because you have wine.”

Zoe laughs, so full and carefree that it makes Madison’s chest swell with happiness.

She puts on some dumb rom-com that Madison scoffs at because she knows the actress in it and says she’s not even good, but Zoe ignores her and lets Madison pour her a glass as she munches on popcorn.

One glass becomes two and then quickly becomes a bottle and a half. The movie is long over and now there’s some random Netflix show Zoe pulled up after, but they’re not even paying attention.

Instead they’re giggling and leaning into each other and saying stupid things. Madison feels happy and sure the alcohol helps, but Zoe by her side makes her feel like everything is okay. There’s a moment where she wants to come clean, to tell Zoe about everything she doesn’t know - about Michael and the apocalypse and saving the world and the way they were an _almost_ that Madison’s been searching for until Michael killed Zoe, that they’ve spent countless of nights like this, that everything with Zoe is so much softer.

She wants to say all of these things, but she stops herself.

“You’re too good to me,” Madison tells her as these thoughts swirl around in her head while finishing off yet another glass of wine.

Zoe smiles softly at her and Madison hates how good she looks drunk in their bedroom on a Friday night.

“Someone has to be,” she teases, and it earns a playful shove from Madison before the two are giggling again.

When the laughter subsides Madison looks at Zoe with big, honest eyes.

“Thank you,” she says, and after a beat she adds, “I know I don’t say it nearly enough.”

“You don’t have to,” Zoe replies.

“I do,” Madison insists. “I’m...I’ve always been too much. I don’t know how you put up with me still.”

“Because I know you’re worth the trouble,” Zoe explains like it’s the simplest thing in the world.

And Madison isn’t used to this warm feeling she’s getting all over. She blames it on the wine she’s had, but she knows that’s not the truth. She may not be used to it, but she knows it well. This is the way she used to feel when Zoe would be gentle towards her despite fighting earlier in the day or Madison had slept with her zombie boyfriend or when she’d drop in on Zoe’s classes unexpectedly and cause havoc.

She hates how in every lifetime she’s come back to, these feelings involving Zoe never seem to go away. She hates how every time she comes back Zoe readily accepts her and gives her those big, doe-like eyes and small smile.

Her emotions are getting the best of her and she’s not yet drunk enough to do something about it so she goes her usual route.

“You’re a sap,” she snorts.

Zoe laughs, shifting back so she can see her laptop screen. “You are too, sometimes.”

“Just around you,” Madison blurts out without thinking.

The confession makes Zoe smile wide, eyes lighting up at the new information. Madison rolls her eyes and avoids eye contact.

“I won’t tell anyone.”

Madison doesn’t even have to look to know Zoe’s sporting the biggest, goofiest grin.

She probably looks adorable.

“Better not,” Madison replies, sending her a half-hearted glare.

(She was right about Zoe’s dumb grin.)

Zoe laughs again before returning her attention to the show before them.

Madison tries to ignore the fact of being here with Zoe feels like home.

 

* * *

 

Going to Mallory when she can’t sleep becomes a thing, Madison guesses.

Turns out the little future Supreme isn’t so bad; she’s kind of funny, too.

Being the only people who remember the apocalypse isn’t so bad when you have each other.

“We’re not best friends or anything stupid like that,” Madison clarifies one night when she’s laying on Mallory’s bed while the other girl hangs off the edge of her bed, head almost touching the ground.

Mallory snorts. “Don’t worry, that spot’s been filled by Coco.”

“Good.”

“And plus, I would never try to take Zoe’s place,” Mallory adds, sitting up with a knowing look.

Madison narrows her eyes, now also sitting up. “Oh and what’s that supposed to mean?”

Mallory quirks an eyebrow. “Are you kidding? You two act like high schoolers who have big gay crushes on each other.”

“We don’t,” Madison scoffs indignantly.

“You so do!” Mallory insists. “You always have.”

“I _don’t_ know what you’re talking about,” Madison argues, crossing her arms and looking away.

Mallory kind of feels like she’s dealing with a child right now, a very sassy and stubborn child with attitude.

“Madison,” Mallory tries again, her features softening. “I remember, you know. How distraught you were when Zoe died. When...Michael killed her.”

Madison glares at her for even mentioning it; she knows it’s one of Madison’s most frequent nightmares. Mallory gives her an apologetic look.

“You two were…” Mallory pauses, trying to find the right words.

“Nothing,” Madison finishes for her, looking away again. “We were nothing.”

“You wanted to be something - you guys almost were,” Mallory points out. “You’re in love with her, always have been.”

Madison’s eyes widen and she looks at the younger witch incredulously. “ _God_ bitch, what are you, Bubbles McGee two-point-oh?”

“You’re deflecting.”

“And _you’re_ an annoying brat.”

Mallory shakes her head, realizing she clearly won’t get anywhere. “Whatever. I think you two would be good together, honestly.”

“Thanks, I didn’t ask,” Madison sneers.

“I might be friends with Zoe, but this can be our little secret,” Mallory jokes, eyes lit up with her teasing.

“Ugh,” Madison groans, sliding off of Mallory’s bed. “I’ve had enough of you tonight.”

Mallory gives her a cheeky little smile, one that tells Madison she’s satisfied with pushing Madison’s buttons just a little, of getting her to open up just enough to get what she wants out of her.

“Good night Madison,” Mallory sing-songs.

“Go to bed, Stupid,” Madison retorts with a roll of her eyes as she walks out.

(She doesn’t tell Mallory that she’s right in every sense, that there’s always been something more she wants with Zoe, more than this weird, blurry line they’ve always walked.

Then again, she doesn’t have to; Mallory’s already figured it out.)

 

* * *

 

Zoe finds herself spending a lot of time with Madison.

In between the Council and classes, most of her downtime is spent with Madison. She doesn’t mind at all, in fact, she finds comfort in knowing Madison is a consistent part of her day. Madison greets her in the morning with a smile and mischief in her eyes, a trait that’s never waivered over the years. They end their days in their bedroom, talking about everything and nothing, and Zoe feels at home here, knowing Madison is finally, _finally_ letting her walls down for her.

They’re in the dining room eating cookies that Coco made earlier in the afternoon - Coco, Mallory, Madison and Zoe. Zoe sits next to Madison and the newer witches across from them.

“These are good for gluten free cookies,” Madison admits, grabbing a third cookie for herself.

Coco beams. “Thanks, I found the recipe online from a health blogger.”

Zoe looks at Madison, an amused look on her face. “Hungry much?”

“I came back from the dead, bitch,” Madison snaps. “I can eat whatever the fuck I want.”

Zoe leans over and nudges her playfully with her shoulder to let her know she’s joking. She’s honestly just glad Madison eats these days, whether she’s dead or alive.

Madison has a small smile Zoe knows she’s fighting, and it only makes Zoe smile wide before she takes another bite of her cookie.

“Smiling’s a good look on you, Madison,” Mallory speaks up in a playful tone. “You should do it more often.”

“Shut it Sabrina,” Madison snaps again.

Zoe’s honestly impressed by how Mallory’s not even fazed by the entity that is Madison Montgomery. She deals with all of Madison’s comments with a roll of her eyes or a shake of her head and sometimes even gives Madison a taste of her own medicine. For someone as angelic as Mallory, Zoe’s not sure where she gets it from.

Mallory gives Madison a satisfied smile before grabbing another cookie. Madison stares at the cookie in Mallory’s hands, and just as the younger witch prepares to take a bite, it flies out of Mallory’s hands and across the table into Madison’s.

“Hey!” Mallory yelps, looking in shock from her empty hand to Madison. “Bitch.”

Zoe is visibly surprised with how comfortable Mallory is around Madison, and she’s even more surprised when Madison doesn’t verbally retaliate with her foul mouth.

Madison smirks, pleased with herself and for getting a reaction out of the girl before taking an exaggerated bite of her cookie.

“Delicious,” she hums, mouth full of cookie.

Zoe’s trying to figure out since when these two have gotten along like this.

“Madison,” Zoe scolds with a frown. “Don’t be rude.”

Madison shrugs, eyes filled with mischief and amusement. “Old habits die hard, I guess.”

Zoe looks at Mallory and asks, “Is it possible to send her back to hell?”

Mallory snorts as Coco giggles.

“I’ll go only if you come with me this time.”

Madison’s doing that thing again, the one where her voice gets all low and sultry and it makes it hard for Zoe’s cheeks not to flush. She can feel Madison’s eyes on her, knows by the way her stomach twists in an oddly excited way that Madison has her just where she wants her.

God, does Madison always have to do this when Zoe leasts expects it?

“You’re full of it,” Zoe manages to say, not quite meeting Madison’s eyes.

Madison lets out a satisfied noise, somewhere between a hum and a scoff, before finishing off the last of Mallory’s cookie. She smiles rather innocently as Zoe, standing from her seat.

“Thanks for the little pow wow with snacks,” she tells them all. “But I’ve got shit to do.”

Mallory looks at her skeptically. “Like what?”

“Like none of your goddamn business,” Madison replies almost instantly.

To Mallory’s credit again, she rolls her eyes and lets it go.

“Don’t smoke in our room again,” Zoe tells her somewhat seriously.

Madison’s eyes light up as a smirk plays her lips. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. Thanks, Zoe.”

Zoe gives her a scowl to which Madison’s smirk turns into a grin.

“See ya,” Madison winks before spinning around and walking out. “Stop scowling, we don’t want that pretty face of yours to get wrinkles.”

“I’m serious, Madison!”

“Me too!”

Zoe fights the flush on her cheeks.

Coco looks from where Madison walks away to Zoe before asking, “So...does she always flirt with you like that?”

Zoe blinks, surprised. “Uh, what?”

She misses Mallory hiding a snicker.

“Madison,” Coco specifies. “She was straight up flirting with you.”

Zoe rolls her eyes, looking down at the table. “Madison flirts with everyone,” she excuses. “She doesn’t know how not to.”

Coco shakes her head, still adamant. “She totally was flirting with you,” she insists, then turns to Mallory. “Right, Mal?”

Mallory looks from Coco to Zoe. Zoe’s looking at Coco like she can’t be serious.

“I mean...yeah, kinda.”

“See! I knew it!”

Zoe scoffs. “You two are insane.”

Yet she can’t help but feel like maybe they’re right.

But it’s _Madison Montgomery_ and almost all her insults have come with a hint of flirtation for as long as Zoe’s known her. She’s always been that way around her. It’s just how Madison is.

 

* * *

 

Madison is going through Mallory’s closet on another late night while Mallory sits on the edge of her bed when Cordelia bursts through the door.

“Mallory, I need to speak with you imm-”

The words die in Cordelia’s throat as soon as she takes in the scene before her. Her panic and stress morphs into sheer confusion of Madison casually in Mallory’s room.

“Is there something we can help you with, Cordy?” Madison asks expectantly, a hand on her hip.

Cordelia frowns slightly, looking from Madison to Mallory. “Are you - the two of you - is it normal for you to hang out? At this hour?”

“Kind of,” Mallory shrugs.

At the same time Madison replies with dripping sarcasm, “Yes, we’re _best friends_ these days, me and Misty Day junior!”

Mallory snorts at Madison’s comment.

Cordelia shakes her head, entering the room and shutting the door. “Nevermind. I came in here because I need to talk to Mallory.”

Concern begins to cloud Mallory’s features as she leans forward towards her Supreme. “What’s wrong, Miss Cordelia?”

“I’ve been having these...visions for weeks now,” she begins, confusion still clear on her face. “They’re...There’s no way they’re the past because they never happened, but something tells me it isn’t the future.”

Mallory’s eyes widen just a little, a sinking feeling settling inside of her because she thinks she knows what this is about. Behind her, Madison watches Cordelia carefully, her features not once betraying her thoughts.

“What do you see?” Mallory asks with caution.

Cordelia hesitates for a moment, genuine fear in her eyes before she replies, “The end of the world.”

“Fuck,” Madison mutters, but neither of them pay attention to her.

“I see the first floor of this academy filled with dead bodies,” Cordelia tells them, her voice thick with emotion. “I see us in Misty’s little shack, and I see the apocalyptic world. I see the two of you sometimes, and this boy - this beautiful, twisted boy. I see it all.”

Mallory’s eyes are wide now, giving away that she knows exactly what Cordelia’s talking about. She turns and exchanges a look with Madison, whose eyes are almost as wide to match.

If Madison’s being honest, hearing Cordelia say it all out loud with as much confusion and emotion as she did shakes her. She thinks about the way Cordelia cradled her face when she decided to stay back and hold off Michael. She’s never felt closer to Cordelia than that exact moment, and Madison knows that even in this lifetime, she’d do anything for her Supreme, for this Coven.

“Cat’s out of the bag, mini Supreme,” Madison tells Mallory.

Cordelia furrows her brows at the nickname that comes from Madison, knows that something bigger is going on here. Of course, it’s no secret Mallory is rising in  the ranks rather quickly and shows lots of promise, but there’s no guarantee she’s the next Supreme. At least, Cordelia doesn’t think so.

“Do the two of you have something you’d like to tell me?” she asks, looking expectantly at the two.

Cordelia may not quite understand what the hell is going on, but she’s no fool.

Mallory shrinks with guilt under her gaze while Madison just sighs. The younger witch looks back at Madison.

“Do we…?”

Madison nods reluctantly, walking over and taking a seat next to Mallory. “Sit down, Cordy,” she tells Cordelia. “You’re in for a ride.”

“What’s going on?” Cordelia asks, walking over slowly to sit across from them.

“You’re not going to believe us.”

“What do you both have to do with this?”

“Please listen to the whole story,” Mallory implores, eyes pleading. “I know it’s going to sound crazy, but it’s all true.”

With one last look at Madison, who gives her an encouraging nod, Mallory finally tells Cordelia the whole story. She tells her how her actual enrollment to the academy was in late 2016, how Queenie was stuck in a hotel and Madison was still dead. She tells her about Michael and the warlocks and everything in between. Madison fills in the gaps about the Murder House - which, “Shit, that hell house is still up for grabs. We need to do something about that.” - and Michael’s roots. They tell her all of it - the murders, the hiding, the plan.

Madison looks away when Mallory tells Cordelia about the massacre at Robichaux.

She tries not to soften at the way Cordelia’s eyes shine when Mallory explains the identity spell being lifted and how Madison sacrificed herself for the good of the Coven and essentially the world.

Mallory’s voice breaks when she talks about Cordelia killing herself to let Mallory rise as Supreme in order to use tempus infinituum - which Cordelia gapes at because that power is a legend as far as she knows - but she carries on to explain how she ran over Michael and came right back here after.

And Cordelia’s eyes are wide the whole time, but at the end she’s immediately wrapping both of them into her embrace, holding them tight and pressing kisses to both of their heads.

“Ugh, _gross._ You know I hate this shit,” Madison grumbles, but she doesn’t make a move to pull away.

“Tough shit,” Cordelia mumbles. “You saved the world.”

Cordelia pulls away, looking at both of them with shining eyes filled with tears.

“We couldn’t have done it without you,” Mallory tells her with a small smile, the appreciation and admiration for Cordelia evident in her eyes.

Cordelia almost melts at the sight of the look Mallory’s giving her, unable to put into words how amazed she is in this moment. She doesn’t quite understand just yet how Mallory will do anything for this Coven, how she’ll do anything for _her._

“Are you the only two that remember?” Cordelia asks.

Mallory nods. “I didn’t want to mess up the timelines or anything that happened. I was afraid to go back.”

“Time’s different in hell,” Madison shrugs. “I was sitting there waiting for Mallory. Apparently, everyone down there wants to do Girl Wonder a favor for getting rid of Michael.”

“Wait,” Cordelia frowns, looking at Mallory. “Is that...Is that how you brought back Misty? And Madison?”

Mallory nods in confirmation.

“My girls,” Cordelia fawns, reaching out and caressing both of their cheeks. “What a terrible burden, carrying all of that between yourselves.”

And Cordelia gets it now, why she walked in to see them hanging out. Misty used to have nightmares almost every night about her personal hell. If that’s how it’s been for her, Cordelia can’t even try to imagine what these two have experienced.

Madison shrugs. “We have each other, I guess.”

Mallory turns to her and smiles at the confession. Madison realizes what she’s just said and rolls her eyes at the look she’s getting, but she smiles anyway.

So yeah, maybe Mallory worst person to be friends with.

 

* * *

 

Zoe kind of hates how easy it is living with Madison.

She hates how naturally they move around each other, how Madison’s less venomous in the mornings than she used to be. She hates how Madison looks almost pleased when Zoe replies to one of her biting comments with one of her own, delivering it smugly. She hates how Madison is always trying to get her out of the house - the mall or Bourbon Street or literally anywhere. She hates how they spend more time together than they do apart and how they get wine drunk together and Madison so much softer in those moments.

She hates it because she knows the bubbling feeling in her chest. She recognizes the way she lights up at the sight of her roommate. She knows that this is what it’s like to fall, and she doesn’t think she can handle it, not when it comes to Madison.

Because even with all the time she spends with her, Madison spends multiple nights away from their room. Sometimes, Zoe wakes up in the middle of the night to find her gone. Others she’s awake to hear her leave or come back.

Zoe doesn’t know where she goes; she doesn’t ask because she’s pretty sure Madison will either tell her to mind her business or give her an answer she doesn’t want to hear.

(She doesn’t want to think about the way other people will have Madison in a way Zoe doesn’t; that quiet moments as roommates will never amount to the way they get to have her.

These thoughts frighten Zoe.)

 

* * *

 

Cordelia notices the light of the library still on and peers in, her face softening at the sight of Zoe completely in her own world with books surrounding her.

“You know sleep is a necessity, right?” she asks as she leans against the doorframe

Her voice startles Zoe, who looks up and gives Cordelia a tired smile.

“I just got lost in reading,” she admits quietly.

Cordelia lets out a soft laugh, pushing herself off the door frame and nodding her head towards the staircase. “Let’s go to bed, Zoe.”

Zoe nods tiredly in agreement, marking her page before closing the books. She leaves them as they are, knowing they’ll be waiting for her again the next morning.

Cordelia wraps an arm around her shoulder as they shut the light off and close the door.

“We should put a bed in there for you,” Cordelia teases.

Zoe chuckles, walking with her Supreme up the stairs. “That wouldn’t be such a bad investment, you know.”

It makes Cordelia laugh and Zoe smiles. She can’t remember seeing Cordelia happier; the past few years have been a lot with her rise to Supreme and building the Coven, but now that she’s found happiness with Misty and having _all_ of her girls back, she’s absolutely radiant. Zoe’s heart could burst with how much she’s wanted something like this for Cordelia.

They reach the top of the stairs and Cordelia squeezes her shoulder, pressing a soft kiss on the top of Zoe’s head.

“Good night,” she says. “Get some sleep - seriously.”

Zoe beams at her. “Good night, Cordelia.”

They walk in opposite directions. She’s already half asleep, but she knows her bed is calling just a few doors away. She assumes Madison’s already asleep, or maybe she’s disappeared again.

It disappoints Zoe, if she’s being honest, but then again - Madison is an enigma she’s never been able to figure out.

(It still kinda sucks, though.)

She’s just about to pass Mallory’s bedroom when she hears laughter, soft but awfully familiar.

Zoe recognizes it as Madison’s laugh.

It makes her pause right outside, a confused expression on her face. Sure, she’s noticed that Madison’s been a little weird lately, that both her and Mallory have this weird friendship thing, as if they know or have something that Zoe doesn’t get to be a part of.

Zoe bites her lip, takes the risk and peeks in to see Madison and Mallory lying at the end of Mallory’s bed, a grin on Madison’s face as Mallory smiles at her.

Madison’s grin is real and honest and she looks _happy._

Something in Zoe’s stomach twists, and her heart drops a little, but she tries to ignore it.

She doesn’t know why, but somehow this feels like a slap in the face.

(It kind of parallels the way she walked in on Kyle, butt-naked and holding Madison up against the bookshelf.

It makes her sick.)

It makes sense now, the way Mallory and Madison have bonded without seemingly anyone knowing how or why. She gets why Mallory doesn’t hesitate to hand Madison’s attitude right back to her, how Madison doesn’t completely destroy her with a look or a few poisonous words.

Zoe backs away from the door and speed walks the rest of the way to her bedroom, shutting the door with a little more force than necessary.

 

* * *

 

Zoe is sitting at her desk with papers scattered in her and Madison’s bedroom when Madison saunters in and immediately places a hot cup of tea on Zoe’s desk.

Zoe looks up to find the blonde sipping on a plastic cup of iced coffee innocently enough.

“Uh, thanks?” she tries, looking from the cup of tea - which is still steaming - and then at Madison.

Madison shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Mallory said this one’s your favorite so I figured I’d make you some. You’ve been holed up here all morning like a mouse.”

It’s only then that Zoe inspects the tag of the tea bag to see it is indeed her favorite: hibiscus herbal tea. Zoe’s kind of touched, really.

“I added honey too,” Madison adds, talking around her straw. “Mallory also said she knows you add a little honey.”

Genuine surprise etches its way onto Zoe’s face as she looks back up at Madison. She’s not quite sure how to react to this random act, but she can see Madison is waiting for her to say something because her big, green eyes are looking at her still.

“Oh...yeah,” Zoe nods, offering a small smile. “I do. Thanks, Mads.”

Madison smiles back at her before taking another sip of her coffee. She retreats to her bed, and Zoe’s barely even writing a full word down before her thought escapes her.

“I didn’t know you and Mallory are like, friends.”

Zoe turns to Madison’s bed to find the blonde look up from her phone and back at her. She swears she doesn’t mean to bring it up, that it really shouldn’t bother her that Madison has other friends outside of herself and Queenie - and on the off day, Misty - but thinking about Madison’s late nights in Mallory’s room have her thoughts all twisted.

The question takes Madison by surprise, really. It comes up seemingly out of nowhere; it’s not like Mallory and Madison spend much time together outside of when Madison hangs out with her at night. And by then, Zoe’s fast asleep.

“I need to start aligning myself with the future Supreme,” Madison partially jokes, rolling her eyes. “Plus, she was already in the kitchen when I walked in. Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Coco are making gluten free cupcakes or some stupid shit.”

Zoe shakes her head at the first part of Madison’s comment, a slight smile on her lips. She’s heard Madison’s jabs and teases at Mallory on occasion, about how Mallory’s looking to be the next Supreme. Zoe doesn’t think she’s completely wrong, really. Mallory _is_ her most promising student, but she just doesn’t see how Madison can be so sure.

But it’s still not the answer Zoe is looking for. She wants to tell Madison she knows where her roommate wanders off to at night. She knows Madison spends hours in Mallory’s room, talking or whatever, in ways they never used to.

She wants to say all these things, but she doesn’t. She’s too afraid of what truths Madison will reveal.

“Well, thanks for the tea, I guess,” she decides to say before turning back to her work.

“It’s my act of kindness for the day, don’t get used to it.”

Zoe snorts softly, shaking her head as she gets back to her notes.

She tries not think about Madison and Mallory, tries not to wonder if Madison flirts with Mallory just like she flirts with Zoe and just about every other god damn person on this planet or if she has those quiet, honest and heart-racing confessions with Mallory, too.

Zoe would like to think those are saved for her and her alone.

 

* * *

 

Madison talks Cordelia into buying the murder house under the Coven’s name.

“It’s for the best,” she promises and she tries not to shiver when she thinks of all the awful things Michael did there in a different timeline.

Cordelia sees the shimmer of emotion in Madison’s eyes and knows Madison is trying to protect everyone from whatever the hell that house can do.

They have to fly out to Los Angeles to close out the deal, and Cordelia insists on sending Mallory with her to ensure that she’s not alone.

“I told Cordy I’d be fine by myself,” Madison grumbles on their way to the airport.

“Why do you even have fly out there anyway?” Mallory asks. “Can’t you just like, sign off on it in New Orleans and fax the paper over?”

“It’s a special house,” Madison explains, putting her shades on. “And I have unfinished business to take care of once we buy it.”

Mallory doesn’t ask for any more details; she doesn’t need to. She remembers when Madison and Behold returned from their initial visit there, how haunted Madison looked and how Zoe didn’t leave her side for a few days.

When they close the deal with the agent, they tell him they’re sisters and are well aware of all the murders surrounding the house. Mallory plays along, even giving Madison an over-enthusiastic hug during the signing process because she knows it’ll bother her. Madison sends a glare but covers it with an eager smile and a little too rough of a shove to be playful.

“This house looks creepy,” Mallory informs Madison when they arrive.

With an exaggerated roll of her eyes, Madison pushes the gates open with a flick of her wrist and replies, “Considering it created the spawn of Satan himself, then yeah that’s an accurate look for the house.”

It’s hard not to start shaking when they step onto the property. Madison does her best to will the flashbacks and memories away, to remind herself half of the things she saw didn’t even happen, not in this timeline. She has to tell herself to breath slowly - _In. Out. In. Out._ \- as they approach the door.

She knows things will be a little different when she walks through the doors this time, but it doesn’t change what she’s seen.

Madison almost jumps when an hand reaches out to her arm and squeezes lightly. She whips her head around to find Mallory behind her; if she’s being honest Madison had even forgotten she was with the younger witch.

“You’re not going in alone,” Mallory reminds her. “I’m here with you.”

It’s an obvious fact, but it puts Madison at ease just enough to push open the door.

And all in all, it’s not a bad trip.

Once she casts the spell she and Behold did the last time, she finds that Violet’s parents are fine since Michael never came into the house, you know, because Mallory killed him. Constance is still living next door - with Michael dead, there was no reason for her to decide it was time to die and be with her kids. She and Mallory dig up Moira’s bones and bury her right next to her mother, far away from Constance and the choices she regretted making.

Mallory doesn’t really question any of the events unfolding, just sits back quietly and lets Madison do her thing. It’s odd, seeing Madison go out and help others so selflessly and willingly, but she knows the blonde has been thinking about this for weeks now, thinking about how things were unsettled here once Mallory reset the timeline.

The one night they spend there, Madison wakes up crying and panting and almost shouting until Mallory finds her, calms her down and tells her about things that don’t really matter. For a few hours it’s like they’re back at Robichaux in Mallory’s bedroom, talking nonsense just to get through the night.

“There’s one more thing I have to do,” Madison tells her when Mallory comes up to let her know the car’s arrived for the airport the following day.

Mallory peeks into the bedroom Madison’s standing in front of. She finds a teenage girl curled up in the very corner of the room crying with her knees pulled up against her chest. Mallory tilts her head because she looks oddly familiar, but she can’t place it.

It’s not until she’s outside waiting for Madison that it clicks.

The girl looks a lot like Zoe.

The blonde witch finally walks out of the house, full of purpose. Mallory notices the way she quickens her pace once she makes it onto the pathway, wasting no time shutting the gates behind her when she approaches the car.

“So,” Mallory begins once they’re in the car. “Did you help her because you’re actually a nice person underneath that cold bitch exterior or because she looks a little like someone we know?”

“This isn’t an exterior,” Madison snaps with a glare. “I _am_ a cold bitch and you know it.”

Mallory only acknowledges the comment with a roll of her eyes. She knows better.

“And I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Madison continues. “I helped two ghosts get laid because the entire damn house couldn’t take either of them moping around anymore.”

“I think she looks like Zoe,” Mallory comments in a casual tone, looking out the window after she delivers her observation. “You know, like a younger version.”

Madison scoffs. “You’re blind. She totally doesn’t - except maybe the wardrobe. Zoe used to dress like that.”

“Right,” Mallory draws out, looking back at Madison.

Madison stares at her for a moment before she finally lets out a scoff and “Whatever. Let’s just go back to the academy.”

Mallory smiles smugly to herself.

 

* * *

 

Mallory and Madison are gone for two days and Cordelia won’t tell Zoe why.

It’s not that she’s _jealous_ \- no, that’s definitely not it. It’s just that Zoe doesn’t quite understand why Cordelia would send those two on Coven business and not, say, her _actual_ Council like she usually does.

But the two witches come home unharmed - thank God - and Madison is immediately collapsing into her bed while Zoe’s greeting her with a soft “welcome home.”

“I’ve never been so glad to be back here,” Madison mumbles into her pillow.

Zoe chuckles softly and Madison can hardly lift her head to glare at her.

“Missed you too,” Zoe promises with a crooked smile.

Madison can’t stop the smile from reaching her lips before she tiredly drops her head back onto the pillow.

“Cordelia wouldn’t tell me where you guys went,” Zoe tells her.

“Maybe that’s for the best,” Madison mumbles, looking away. “You wouldn’t want to be there, trust me.”

Zoe notices the subtle shift in Madison. Madison won’t meet her gaze, and her voice drops to the point she’s practically monotone. Zoe softens, taking in the state of the blonde.

“Mads?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m here for you,” Zoe reminds her quietly. “I hope you know that.”

Madison opens her eyes, emotions that Zoe can’t decipher swirling on the surface of them. There’s a ghost of a smile on her lips as she replies, “I know.”

And there are so many things Madison wants to say, so many things she wishes Zoe could understand. But this is not the place nor the time, and she doesn’t want to burden Zoe with everything she knows, about what almost was.

So instead she closes her eyes and falls asleep, hoping her nightmares don’t show up.

 

* * *

 

The last thing Madison sees before she wakes up is Michael burning souls.

Well - not souls, but _a_ soul.

He’s burning _Zoe’s_ soul.

She wakes up in a panic, unable to breathe. There are already tears on her cheeks and she’s frantically panting. Her eyes scan the room and she finds Zoe’s bed is empty and she only panics more until she remember that Zoe often spends her night in the library and she’s probably there right now.

Madison squeezes her eyes shut, not caring that more tears fall, hoping if she squeezes tight enough that image is erased from her mind.

There’s no such luck.

Once she’s calmed her breathing down enough, she slowly slips out of bed and makes her way out of her and Zoe’s bedroom and knocks on Mallory’s door.

“Madison, you know you really don’t have to knock anymore. You practically - woah.”

Mallory’s wide-eyed and full of concern when she takes in Madison’s appearance. The blonde has tears just about everywhere on her face and she seems to be taking short breaths. She looks the most visibly upset that Mallory’s ever seen her.

The younger witch wastes no time pulling Madison inside her room.

Madison all but collapses into her, letting Mallory guide her to the bed.

“I just - and he - the fire - _fuck._ ”

A fresh wave of tears consumers Madison and she cries into Mallory’s shoulder without reserve. Mallory just holds her, trying her best to make the situation as normal as possible, but they’ve never been the type to console each other in this way, not by literally crying on each other and coming completely undone.

“Okay,” she murmurs. “Okay Madison, you need to take some deep breaths.”

Madison nods against the fabric of Mallory’s t-shirt and tries her best. Mallory rubs her back slowly, trying to help.

“Was it a nightmare?”

Madison nods again, beginning to slow her breathing.

“Can you tell me what you saw?” Mallory asks gently.

It takes the blonde a moment, but she finally manages to choke out, “Burning. He - Zoe’s soul.”

Mallory doesn’t have to ask for anymore clarifications after that. She knows exactly what Madison’s talking about; it’s what she saw at the murder house the first time around. It’s what earned her a slap across the face from Cordelia after the massacre.

“It wasn’t real,” Mallory reminds her quietly as Madison’s crying begins to slow. “Zoe is in the library reading. She’ll be in bed before you know it.”

“Uh-huh,” Madison seconds, sniffling just a little.

“It wasn’t real. Michael is gone.”

They stay like that for at least twenty minutes. Madison does her best to get it together, but Mallory never rushes her. She stays quiet and holds Madison against her, letting Madison wet her t-shirt with tears. She understands what it’s like, knows it’s even more so for Madison.

Because Zoe means more to Madison than anyone else.

Mallory and Madison both know it; they just don’t say it.

At least, Madison doesn’t.

Mallory kisses the top of Madison’s head after a while before resting her chin on top.

(Neither of them realize the door is still somewhat open.

They also don’t realize that Zoe passes by, that she pauses when she sees it’s kind of open and the light is on. Or that Zoe watches Mallory kiss the top of Madison’s head and how Madison doesn’t flinch or scream or do anything to fight it, that she stays put.

Zoe backs away from the door like she’s been burned, eyes wide and stomach twisting.

Mallory and Madison don’t notice any of this at all.)

 

* * *

 

Zoe hates how something in her chest hurts when she thinks about how soft and intimate the moment she’s intruded upon had been.

She wakes up and sees Madison asleep in her own bed and something about it puts Zoe at ease, even if she can’t quite get rid of the image of Mallory holding Madison out of her mind.

It’s a rainy day in New Orleans; it’s not quite a downpour, but it’s enough for most of the Coven to decide they’re spending their weekend inside the dry walls of Robichaux.

Madison tells Zoe she wants to stay in their room and watch Netflix all day, and Zoe gives in as soon as she sees the way Madison’s eyes are tired and her voice is quiet.

“Just don’t put on some dumb shit,” Madison tells her and Zoe grins at how even on her worst days, Madison is true to her personality.

Zoe spreads blankets and pillows across the floor while Madison wanders into the kitchen and comes back with snacks as well as a cup of coffee for herself and tea for Zoe. She lets Madison pick their first movie of the day and they take turns after that, both of them with their back against the wall and curled up over the warm mugs and soft blankets.

Madison criticizes practically every single actress that comes on screen.

Zoe tells her to shut up and enjoy the movie.

They’re two movies in when Zoe tries not to react to how Madison is leaning against her comfortably. She reminds herself to keep breathing, to focus on the movie they have playing. She tries not to melt when Madison sighs contentedly against her.

“Zoe?” Madison says after a while.

Zoe turns to meet Madison’s soft yet unwavering gaze. She tilts her head slightly in question.

“I’m really glad we’re both here,” she admits quietly. “And that we’re both, like, alive.”

Zoe isn’t quite sure where this is coming from, but Madison’s been in a weird mood all day, so Zoe just rolls with it.

How can she not when Madison looks so sincere?

She gives Madison a small smile, one that doesn’t accurately describe the way Madison is making her feel in this moment.

(She can only hope Madison doesn’t feel the way her heart beats against her chest.)

“Me too,” she replies.

And if Madison falls asleep curled up against Zoe during movie number four, Zoe doesn’t say a word. She simply pulls the blanket over the two of them and continues watching the movie.

(Eventually Zoe falls asleep, too.

Madison wakes up in Zoe’s arms and thinks that this is what home feels like before dozing off again.)

 

* * *

 

Madison is in the kitchen making toast when Misty and Mallory enter and make a beeline for her.

“Drink this,” Mallory instructs, holding up a small glass with green liquid.

Madison eyes the drink warily as Mallory places it in her hands. She sniffs it and makes a face, looking between the two other witches.

“What the fuck is this?”

“Dee and I made it this mornin’ for ya,” Misty explains with a grin.

Mallory adds, “It’s supposed to help with sleep and the nightmares.”

Madison quirks an eyebrow skeptically. “So I just drink this right now and everything goes away? How is that even possible?”

Also, she kind of wants to kill Mallory for going to _Misty and Cordelia_ and telling them about Madison’s nightmares and sleepless nights.

Stupid bitch.

Misty shakes her head. “You drink it every week,” she explains. “And they don’t completely go away, but it helps. A lot.”

“Are you sure?”

“Misty drinks a version of it. She went through something similar after she came back from Hell,” Mallory shrugs. “It’s worth a try isn’t it?”

“It’ll help, Maddie,” Misty promises, eyes big and sincere, and if she wasn’t genuinely trying to help Madison at the moment, Madison would snap at being called Maddie.

Madison looks from her to Mallory, who gives her an encouraging nod. Finally, she sighs and knocks it back with two big gulps. Mallory looks impressed while Misty grins big, just happy that Madison’s decided to give her concoction a try.

Madison winces after she swallows the last of it, shoving the cup towards the other two in front of her.

“Hope this shit works,” she mutters with a cough.

Misty winks at her before spinning around and making her way out of the house and back to the greenhouse.

 

* * *

 

Honestly, Madison begins to hang out in Mallory’s room at night because she _wants_ to.

She strolls into Mallory’s room like she always does, not even bothering to knock anymore.

“Mal, I have to show you-”

Madison is cut off by a yelp and she turns her head just in time to see a freshly showered Mallory jump in surprise and drop her towel. Mallory is wide-eyed and clearly frightened by the other girl’s entrance. Madison tries not to burst out laughing at how she’s quite literally naked and afraid.

“Oh, are we going to bed nude tonight?” Madison teases.

“Jesus _fucking_ Christ Madison,” Mallory hisses, scrambling to grab her towel from the ground and cover herself.

Madison smirks. “Have a nice shower?”

Mallory’s cheeks are growing increasingly flushed by the second, and she’s only able to glare at Madison for a moment before she’s pointedly averting her amused eyes.

“Fantastic, actually,” she replies through gritted teeth as she wraps her towel around her body tightly.

Madison laughs, dropping herself onto the edge of Mallory’s bed with ease. She watches Mallory scurry towards her drawers, frantically grabbing her clothes.

“Oh please,” she snorts. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about.”

Mallory turns and gapes. “You just saw me butt naked!”

Madison shrugs. “We’re like sisters, Girl Wonder.”

Mallory lets out a huff and closes her eyes, cheeks still flushed. She shuts her drawer with a slam and turns to Madison again.

“I hate you,” she informs Madison before stomping off to the bathroom to change.

Madison rolls her eyes as she chuckles. “Sure you do, kid.”

 

* * *

 

Sometimes, Zoe wakes up before morning gathering to sit in the living room and read whatever book she’s currently on. The natural light from the big windows of the living room make Zoe feel warm and at peace in ways she can’t even begin to explain.

It reminds her of a time before the Coven, when she’d spend hours in her living room at home, curled up on the couch and completely lost in whatever world her current book was taking her.

She’s in her typical position on the corner of one of the seats when she hears two voices drifting from the kitchen.

“Can you grow up?”

“Not until you admit I’m right.”

She recognizes the voices as Madison and Mallory almost immediately and can’t stop the slight frown on her lips and furrow on her brows. Madison’s usually still asleep or just barely waking up at this time.

Their voices grow quieter, and although Zoe can still hear them, she can’t make out any of the words they’re saying.

And it’s not that Zoe’s trying to eavesdrop; she just wants to know why the hell Madison’s awake and more importantly how Mallory and Madison are even as close as they are.

Once she realizes there’s no way she’ll be able to hear them, Zoe lets out a quiet sigh and gives up. She returns to her book, the soft hum of their voices nothing more than background noise to the story she’s reading.

It’s not until a few minutes later that their voices are closer to the entryway that Zoe hears them again.

“...need to change. This outfit is literally hiking up to show my ass,” she hears Mallory grumble.

“Not like I haven’t seen it all already.”

Madison’s delivery is playful and light, but the statement makes Zoe freeze. It’s not the first time she’s heard this line; Madison had used it on her many times back before she died the first time, even used it when Zoe moved around their room shyly in a towel after Mallory brought her back.

“ _Madison._ ”

It’s a cross between a whine and chastising from Mallory. Madison’s laughter follows quickly and Mallory is quickly storming out of the kitchen and up the stairs, but not without holding up a finger behind her for Madison to see.

“Take it easy, bitch!” Madison calls from the kitchen.

Mallory groans as she makes it up the rest of the stairs.

Zoe really wants to say she heard wrong, that this is some kind of misunderstanding. She wants to tell herself that she didn’t even hear the whole conversation. But Zoe is not an idiot and she’s not clueless; she knows there’s no other sentence she needed to hear to understand exactly what Madison was implying.

She feels somewhat sick right now, the thoughts of Madison and Mallory _not_ being just friends taking over her mind.

Zoe thinks about Madison’s late nights, the intimacy, the easy bantering. Somehow, it all makes sense.

She doesn’t understand why this information makes her so upset, why she can’t just pick up her book and keep reading as if nothing is wrong.

 

* * *

 

A day full of classes along with a couple of Council responsibilities keep Zoe busy for the most part. It distracts her, giving her something to throw herself into so she’s not dwelling on the events of the morning.

But now she’s in the library, brushing up on some reading for her lessons she’s got tomorrow when Mallory waltzes in and smiles when she sees Zoe, immediately making her way over and sitting across from the older witch.

Mallory is probably the last person Zoe wants to see right now tied with Madison, but she can’t find it in her to send her away because they _are_ friends and this is normal for them.

And anyway, what actual reason does Zoe have to be mad and upset with Mallory, anyway?

(Other than the fact she, you know, failed to mention Madison at any time.)

Mallory’s busy with her own readings, skimming whatever she’s got in her hands. Zoe, on the other hand, has read the same paragraph three times in a row and still doesn’t understand a word of what she’s read.

All she can think about is Mallory and Madison and their late night hangouts and Madison’s comment this morning.

She must be staring at Mallory for longer than a moment because the younger girl looks up and quirks an eyebrow.

“Is everything okay, Zoe?”

Zoe’s first thought is to nod and say everything’s fine, that she’s just had a long day and probably needs a nap after this reading, but the words escape her mouth before she can stop herself.

“When were you going to tell me about you and Madison?”

Mallory’s face scrunches up in pure confusion.

“What?”

“You and Madison,” Zoe repeats for clarification. “You know what I’m talking about.”

For some reason, Zoe can’t get the words out. She can’t quite put her suspicions and her gut feeling out in the open.

“Um,” Mallory starts, brows furrowed tightly into her features. “I’m not following.”

Zoe’s eyebrows shoot up as she gapes at Mallory in disbelief because, _seriously?_ Mallory’s going to play the clueless card?

“Don’t play dumb with me,” Zoe says and it comes out a little more aggressive than she intended, but there’s no going back now. “I heard Madison talking to you this morning in the kitchen.”

Mallory knits her eyebrows together, still looking just as confused as she had a moment ago. Zoe’s jaw sets in irritation; she can’t quite explain _why_ this whole situation is bothering her, but right now her money is on the fact Mallory is being a child.

“I don’t-”

“She said she’s seen you naked,”  Zoe explains through her clenched jaw, patience wearing thin. She mimics Madison when she adds, “‘ _Not like I haven’t seen it all already.’_ ”

It’s only now that Mallory’s eyes widen and the confusion on her features is wiped away with clear understanding as she recalls this morning’s conversation.

“Oh _that,_ ” Mallory nods slowly, then she tilts her head in confusion once again and she twists her lips as she begins to ask, “Wait, why would that-”

Her eyes widen again, and this time Zoe thinks she’s _finally_ got it out of Mallory. Her stomach tightens because this is the moment she’s been so afraid of all day, the one where Mallory tells her what she isn’t quite ready to hear or react to. She bites her lip, trying to stop the thoughts of _Mallory and Madison_ in her head from getting far. She doesn’t let herself think about how this has been going on for _weeks_ and Zoe had no clue.

“Oh my god,” Mallory says out slowly, looking somewhat horrified. “You totally think I’m hooking up with Madison.”

Zoe looks at her incredulously. “Well, aren’t you?”

Mallory just stares at her with her mouth open and no response.

“There’s no other reason she would’ve said that,” Zoe continues, looking expectantly at her friend in hopes of a verbal response. Feeling like she has to justify herself she adds, “I know that because-”

The sentence dies quickly on her lips as her cheeks begin to flush. She quickly looks away from Mallory before the younger witch can see the emotions in her eyes.

_I know that because she’s said to me before, after we hooked up with Kyle, on multiple occasions._

“Because what, Zoe?”

“Nothing. It doesn’t matter,” Zoe snaps, facing Mallory once she’s been able to fix her expression. “Why didn’t you tell me, Mallory?”

Mallory makes a face, shaking her head quickly. “Dude, _no._ I would never - Ugh, _gross,_ ” she scoffs, shaking her head.

She shuts her book and begins packing her things. Zoe can only watch her, utterly confused.

“Where are you going? We’re not done talking here,” Zoe points out.

“I think you need to talk to Madison,” Mallory suggests, looking up as she gathers the last of her belongings up in her arms. “Since, you know, you think I’m hooking up with your roommate and all  - which, by the way, I totally wouldn’t do to you.”

“Just tell me what’s going on,” Zoe demands, growing irritated once again.

Mallory hesitates, but shakes her head and tells her, “It’s not my place.”

Zoe scoffs. “What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?”

“Just talk to her,” Mallory sighs, quickly turning on her heels and walking out of the library.

Zoe calls after her, but the younger witch ignores her, walking out the door and around the corner quickly. She lets out a huff, slouching in her chair.

What the _fuck_ is going on here?

 

* * *

 

When Madison finally returns to the Academy, Zoe standing over her desk tidying it up. Mallory had been conveniently MIA for the rest of the afternoon, most likely holed up in her room or hanging out with Misty. Zoe had decided it wasn’t worth it to try to press the girl since she so clearly thought Zoe and Madison had to talk about _whatever_ this is.

Though, “this” seems to include Mallory in some capacity so Zoe’s still confused on why Mallory refused to open her mouth.

Madison waltzes into their room, her hands filled with shopping bags. Zoe tries not to roll her eyes at how this image right here is the epitome of Madison. She almost lets herself smile at the way Madison saunters in, full of purpose and confidence that Zoe’s noticed has been harder for her to find on some days since she’s been back.

But then she thinks about all of Madison’s late night outings to Mallory’s room, the awfully intimate moment she’d passed by, the comment in the kitchen, and the way Mallory refused to tell her what the deal is.

And Madison has the audacity to stroll in like nothing's wrong, like nothing she does ever affects anyone like, say Zoe.

(And Zoe knows she shouldn’t give two shits about what Madison does in her own time. They’re friends and that’s all.

But that’s a lie and even Zoe knows it.)

Zoe looks away then, keeping her eyes trained on her desk as a scowl involuntarily makes its way to her face.

“You clearly had fun shopping with Coco today,” Zoe comments, organizing the small pile of books on her desk into a straight pile

“It’s a real treat considering her rich daddy feels bad for sending her away from home,” Madison shrugs with a half-smirk.

She tosses her shopping bags on the floor by her bed before spinning around to face her roommate.

“Heard you have some questions for me.”

Madison’s voice isn’t malicious, not at all, but there’s still some of that signature Montgomery drip in her voice that Zoe doesn’t have to look up from her desk to know the girl is still sporting a smirk and looking at Zoe in amusement.

“Where would you get that idea from?” Zoe murmurs, fiddling with various objects on her desk to avoid looking at Madison.

Zoe knows this is her chance to finally grill Madison and get answers, but she’s still afraid.

She’s afraid of what Madison will say because at the end of the day, Zoe knows why she cares so much about who and what Madison is doing.

She just isn’t ready to admit it to herself.

“A little birdy told me you think I’m hooking up with Girl Wonder,” Madison tells her.

It’s the way Madison sounds almost smug or amused at the insinuation that makes Zoe finally lift her gaze from her desk to meet Madison’s squarely.

“Well you are, aren’t you?”

It’s harsh and accusing, something that reminds Zoe of her earlier Robichaux days when she and Madison fought more often than anything else. Madison seems a little surprised in her reaction, the way her expression falls just a little and the smirk is gone.

The air grows tense between them; Madison’s quiet for a moment because she clearly wasn’t expecting Zoe to react this way and Zoe refusing to look away from her as she waits for her answer.

“Why do you even care so much?”

Madison tries to deliver as much venomous bite as she can in the line, but they both know she falls short. It’s clear by the way her big eyes are searching Zoe’s face for answers that the question is genuine.

Still, her response is getting Zoe nowhere and honestly, her patience is wearing thin once again today.

“Because Mallory’s my friend,” Zoe snaps in a defensive manner, crossing her arms.

Madison gives her a look, clearly offended by her answer. “What the fuck am I, then?”

“You’re…” Zoe starts, but nothing comes after.

Her thought is hanging in the air between them and though she tries to think of the right word to describe what Madison _is_ to her, she realizes that she’s never quite been able to figure that out.

She’s never been able to understand _Madison_ when it comes to the two of them. Because they’ve never been friends and left it at that; they both know it. But Zoe’s eyes were set on Kyle and Madison loved being a bitch and joined in and then there was always a line they were walking, one that Zoe couldn’t ever see clearly.

Madison lets out a scoff paired with a roll of her eyes when it’s clear Zoe is incapable of finishing the sentence. It makes Zoe almost wince because of course Madison’s not just some girl she somewhat knows, but Madison is already speaking before she can try to amend herself.

“Great! You’re telling me I mean next to nothing,” she says, practically gawking at Zoe.

Zoe gapes, throwing her hands up in frustration.

“No! That’s not what I’m saying. Stop putting words in my mouth,” she replies with a glare. “That’s not true and you _know_ it, Madison.”

Her voice seeps with emotion in the last part of her spiel. Zoe’s eyes are focused on Madison and Madison only, and it’s not a pleading look, not quite, but she wants Madison to understand something even though she can’t find the right words to tell her out loud.

“Then what are you saying?” Madison asks in an even voice.

Zoe knows better. She can tell by the way Madison’s jaw is slightly set and her voice is a little too even that she’s trying to keep her emotions in check. She’s trying to keep her cold stone exterior, to not let the situation get the best of her and her feelings.

She slightly parts her lips to say something - _anything_ \- but words fail her once again because what _is_ she saying? What _can_ she say when she and Madison have walked this line with each other for so long?

“Madison,” Zoe says instead, her name falling like a sigh from her lips.

“Zoe, why do you care so much?”

Madison’s crossed her arms and she keeps her voice steady as she delivers the question. Her gaze isn’t as strikingly hard as they usually are in confrontational moments. Zoe thinks that this time, Madison is actually looking for an answer this time.

However, she can’t bring herself to say it. She knows her last answer wasn’t good enough and if she tries to say it doesn’t matter, Madison will call bullshit.

She’s trapped in this in between space, unsure of what to do or say. Because if Madison knows why it bothers her so much, there’s an avalanche of rejection waiting for her.

She just doesn’t know which would hurt worse though: the loud, angry, disgusted rejection or the quiet, I-actually-feel-bad rejection.

(In the end she knows any rejection from Madison hurts.)

Madison realizes Zoe won’t answer her and takes a cautious step towards her.

“I’m not hooking up with Mallory,” she clarifies.

“What?” Zoe blinks, bewildered.

Madison nods slowly, waiting for it to sink in.

“No,” Zoe shakes her head, not taking Madison’s words for truth. “You...I know you always go to her room at night. You’re always in there. I’ve seen you in there when I stay up late in the library.”

Madison raises an eyebrow.

“Girl talk,” she shrugs. “The kid is smarter and cooler than she looks.”

And she knows that she’ll need to tell Zoe the truth, that there are nightmares about a timeline that will never occur. She knows that she can’t hide this from Zoe forever, even if she thinks that it’s protecting the other girl in a way.

But right now, she’s kind of deadset on making it _very_ clear Mallory is not and has never been the object of her affection.

“But I heard you this morning,” Zoe presses, a confused expression on her features. “You…”

Madison snorts. “I’ve seen her naked? Yeah, because I walked into her room one night and she’d just finished showering. Poor girl was so traumatized.”

Zoe tilts her head, looking like a rather adorable confused puppy, as she tries to make sense of what Madison is telling her. Madison almost smiles at the sight, somewhat relieved that Zoe isn’t angry still.

“But…”

Madison groans, throwing her head back in slight frustration.

“I literally have been flirting with you since I came back from the dead,” she informs her roommate, eyes widening in a _duh_ expression.

“You flirt with everyone on this planet,” Zoe argues, a slight frown still placed on her lips.

Madison rolls her eyes and sighs, “God, you’re such an idiot.”

She’s barely finishing her sentence before she reaches out and tugs Zoe by the collar. Zoe, taken by surprised and tumbling forward, can hardly process what the hell Madison is doing when glossed lips are crashing into hers and everything else melts away.

Zoe’s eyes are fluttering closed as Madison grips onto her collar like her life depends on it, needing Zoe closer. Zoe’s hands move on their own, reaching out to hold Madison at her waist mainly to steady Zoe herself. Madison tastes faintly of cigarettes and mostly like her lip gloss, but Zoe doesn’t care. She marvels at how Madison’s lips move in sync with her own, how all this time apart hasn’t let her forget the way Madison feels. Madison kisses her with a newfound gentleness that Zoe’s never experienced, like she’s trying to find comfort in Zoe, _for_ Zoe.

Her head is spinning and she’s still trying to put all the pieces together - she blames Madison kissing her for this malfunction in her brain - but she only tugs Madison closer because kissing Madison feels like she can finally breathe again after all this time.

When they finally pull apart - only because they need to breathe - Zoe is flushed and wanting more of Madison. Her eyes are only half-open and focus on the way Madison is so close and so beautiful.

“Please tell me you’ve figured it out by now,” Madison jokes in a quiet voice, eyes shining.

Zoe lets out a soft laugh before she’s leaning in and stealing Madison’s lips with hers.

Madison presses a smile against Zoe’s lips before she reminds her just how talented she is with her tongue.

 

* * *

 

Later, when they are under the sheets of Madison’s bed and Zoe is contentedly playing with Zoe’s fingers, Madison tells her everything.

She tells her about the first time she came back to life after the Seven Wonders, about Michael and his roots. She tells her about how with Zoe, she’d always felt safe and that they were _something_ in this timeline, even if they didn’t quite know it. She tells her about Mallory as the rising Supreme, and Zoe understands why Madison has been so sure of it. She tells her about the Murder House and why Cordelia sent her and Mallory over there this time around.

Her voice catches when she tells Zoe about her death - a bullet through the head - and Zoe is immediately squeezing her hand and kissing her head and reminding her that she’s right here with Madison.

Madison tells her everything that comes after Zoe’s death, too, about Mallory literally saving the entire planet by running Michael over.

“Your nightmares,” Zoe brings up when Madison is finished. “They’re about all of this, aren’t they?”

Madison looks away and nods, suddenly feeling small.

“That’s why I couldn’t sleep,” she explains. “And Mallory’s the only one who remembers, who has seen as much as I have.”

“So she was the only person you could talk to about it,” Zoe pieces together.

Madison nods.

Everything about Madison’s nightly adventures to Mallory’s room making sense now: the weird intimacy, the crying, Mallory kissing her head. Zoe inwardly winces, guilt festering in the pit of her stomach.

“I’m sorry,” she  says. “About thinking you and Mallory…”

“Don’t,” Madison shakes her head, a small smile on her lips. “You had no idea. I probably would’ve thought the same.”

Zoe sighs. “I was so mad at Mallory, too.”

Madison sports a devilish grin then, biting her lip as she reaches out for Zoe.

“I mean, you’re kinda hot when you’re jealous.”

Zoe laughs as Madison smoothly tugs her closer, the blonde’s eyes are dark and sly as her fingers run along the hem of Zoe’s shirt.

“Madison!”

Madison laughs then, and Zoe tries her hardest not to melt at the sound. She doesn’t hold it together for much longer though because Madison is pulling her in for a kiss and Zoe becomes nothing more than a puddle of pure affection for the girl in her arms.

 

* * *

 

Zoe is in the kitchen making tea for herself and coffee for Madison who is still getting dressed upstairs when Mallory walks in with an empty mug.

“Hey,” Mallory greets with a hint of hesitation.

Zoe looks up from her freshly brew tea, blinking when she realizes it’s Mallory.

“Oh. Hey,” she replies.

She turns back to her tea, pouring it into her mug and thinks of the right words to say. Honestly, she’s just glad Mallory hasn’t decided to give her the cold shoulder after Zoe’s retrospectively  dramatic outburst yesterday.

Mallory is placing her mug into the dishwasher when Zoe finally decides to speak up.

“I’m sorry, Mal.”

The younger witch looks up from the dishwasher, those doe-like eyes looking at Zoe intently.

“About yesterday,” Zoe continues, a guilty look on her face. “I know you and Madison aren’t…She told me, you know, about the apocalypse and everything.”

Mallory shrugs, a small smile on her face. “It’s fine, Zoe. I totally get it.”

Zoe quirks an eyebrow at her curiously, and Mallory’s smile only widens.

“You and Madison are terrible at hiding your feelings from just about everyone else around here,” Mallory tells her, the tease evident in her voice.

Zoe’s jaw drops at Mallory’s accusation, and now Mallory’s trying not to laugh at her reaction. Zoe is trying to avoid the flush that is inevitably rising to her cheeks.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

Mallory snorts. “You and Madison are _literally_ the same.”

Zoe gives her an exaggerated eye roll, but there’s a smile that finds its way onto her lips and Mallory is grinning at her widely now.

“You’re a good friend,” Zoe tells her. “Madison really needed someone and I’m glad it was you.”

Mallory shrugs it off as if it’s no big deal, which Zoe thinks is just like her. She knows Mallory is young, but the girl is already beyond her years. She reminds Zoe of Cordelia in so many ways that now, it’s almost a relief to know that Mallory is the next Supreme, not some power-hungry witch like Fiona was.

“Witnessing the end of the world is one way to start a friendship,” Mallory jokes.

And it sounds light and full of playfulness, but Zoe can see the way Mallory’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes. She notices the slight dullness that has appeared with the topic. Madison told her what happened, but she can’t even begin to imagine experiencing it and remembering, being the only people who remembered.

The Keurig makes a humming noise, letting Zoe know Madison’s coffee is ready.

She doesn’t reach for it right away though.

Instead, she looks at Mallory with the sincerest expression and tells her in the quietest voice, “Thank you for bringing her back.”

 _To me,_ she doesn’t add. She doesn’t have to though, because Mallory’s smile softens and her eyes light up and she nods like there was never any other choice Mallory would make.

“Please tell me that’s my coffee.”

Madison walks into the kitchen, her boots hitting the tile loud and with purpose like they always do. Zoe’s face lights up at the sight of her, despite just seeing her before coming downstairs. Mallory snorts softly at the comment, shaking her head.

“Good morning to you too,” Mallory deadpans. “So nice of you to join the rest of us.”

Madison casts her a sideways glance, clearly biting back a smile. “Shut it, mini Supreme.”

Mallory rolls her eyes at the nickname, but she knows at this point she’s stuck with it so she just lets it be.

Zoe finishes pouring sugar into the mug before she holds it by the handle and spins around just as Madison approaches her.

“Black with two sugars,” Zoe says, a giddy smile on her lips.

And Madison’s lips curve into a sweet smile, one so honest and easy that Mallory doesn’t quite recognize it with Madison’s features.

She leans forward and gives Zoe a soft, but lingering kiss.

Mallory would be somewhat shocked by the scene playing before her, but she smiles as her heart grows fondly. She knows this has been a long time coming.

When Madison pulls away, Zoe looks slightly dazed. She smirks smugly before murmuring, “Thanks” and taking her mug before taking a step back from Zoe.

“Get a room,” Mallory teases, then smirks. “Oh, wait. You already have one.”

“Good one,” Madison deadpans behind her coffee mug.

“Is that why we didn’t see the two of you at morning gathering today?” Mallory presses, an amused expression lighting her features.

Zoe flushes, clearly embarrassed and caught.

Madison, on the other hand, raises her eyebrows suggestively before taking a long sip of her coffee.

“You know,” Mallory continues. “Cordelia’s going to ask what was so important that you two couldn’t make it this morning.”

“Well, you can tell Cordelia I was too busy fu-”

“Madison!” Zoe exclaims from beside her, eyes wide as she gapes at her girlfriend.

It’s just then that Cordelia walks in, looking at all three girls in the room before settling her eyes on Madison, quirking an eyebrow.

She looks just like a mother walking in on her children who are up to no good, which, she isn’t too far off.

“What were you going to tell me?”

“Nothing!” Zoe immediately says before Madison can speak, looking frightened and mildly embarrassed.

Madison turns to look at her girlfriend as if to say _seriously?_

Mallory doesn’t even attempt to hide her laughter at the whole situation. It earns her a glare from Madison and a warning look from Zoe, but she doesn’t care.

“No one’s allowed to talk to me before I’ve had my coffee,” Madison snaps before she’s grabbing Zoe’s hand with her own free hand and dragging her girlfriend out of the kitchen.

Zoe does her best to grab her own mug of tea and not spill it as Madison makes a beeline for the dining room.

Cordelia turns to the younger witch. “Mallory?”

Mallory just shakes her head, smiling as she answers, “Don’t worry, Cordelia. You’ll figure it out soon enough.”

**Author's Note:**

> as usual, you can find me on tumblr @backtobasicbellas


End file.
